Paul Lambert has insisted that the youthfulness of his Aston Villa squad is not responsible for their horrible start to the festive calender.
The West Midlands outfit have conceded 12 goals without reply in heavy defeats to both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in their Christmas fixtures so far.
These losses have put Villa firmly back into the relegation pack, but Lambert believes that his side's apparent inexperience is not relevant to their position in the Premier League table.
"As I've said before, over the last few years this club has had loads of experienced players and the situation has not really changed," he said.
"Experienced players won't always take you where you want to go. I know that from my own experience, I've got a belief in the way we are doing it in the long-term this club will be great.
"There is no point me saying we're down there because of inexperience. This club was battling against relegation last season."
Aston Villa host Wigan Athletic in a crucial bottom-of-the-table clash at Villa Park on Saturday.
Joe Fish
